


A Quick Minute

by mamalovesherbagels



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Cute, Fluff, but is her man, does that make sense, it makes sense to her, maddie is worried about her man who is not her man
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-27
Updated: 2020-05-27
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:55:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24413935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mamalovesherbagels/pseuds/mamalovesherbagels
Summary: Post-Doug, they're taking a minute. But when she hears that Chimney is having a rough time handling being interim captain, especially in the wake of Shannon's death, she knows she needs to see him. In person. For the first time in a little over a month.
Relationships: Maddie Buckley/Howie "Chimney" Han
Comments: 3
Kudos: 16





	A Quick Minute

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MaddieandChimney](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaddieandChimney/gifts).



She doesn’t know what she’s doing there.

Well, she does know what she’s doing there.

After days of badgering Buck with texts asking how Chimney is handling the pressures of being interim captain so relatively soon after being stabbed to near death, and increasing the frequency of said badgering texts following Shannon’s death, she had finally given into her brother’s requests to just text Chimney directly.

Sure, they’re taking “a minute” from their romantic relationship, but a friend could be concerned about how he was doing, right?

And a friend can also immediately come marching down to the fire station when they get a “not so well, honestly” text back, right?

“Mads? You here to see me? Oooh, are those tacos--”

“I’m here to see the captain, Buck,” she says curtly.

“Ooooh,” he coos mischievously, waggling his eyebrows, “you’re here to see _Captain Han._ ”

“Cut it out, Evan. Your birthmark is dancing at me and it’s creeping me out.”

“CAP!” he shouts, “someone’s here to see you!”

“Who is it, Buckaroo?” Chimney calls back, sounding exhausted and stressed and distrustful of her brother in a way that makes Maddie giggle.

“Come see for yourself.”

“Buck, I swear to God,” he groans, starting to descend the stairs when he catches Maddie’s eye on his tone of voice takes a one-eighty, “Oh, hi there.”

“I’ll leave you two to it,” Buck chuckles, giving Maddie _a look_ before practically skipping up the stairs.

“Hi,” Chimney says again, “what are you doing here? Not that I’m not happy to see you or any--”

“I brought lunch,” is what she ends up saying, holding up the bag of tacos.

He makes a bit of a… displeased face at that, and he must see the confusion and hurt on his face because he quickly explains.

“No, no, Maddie, that’s so sweet, thank you and they’re even from that place that we like,” he rushes out, glossing over the part about how they used to go there together all the time and he misses that, he misses her, “it’s just that I’m not feeling so good, is all.”

“What’s wrong?” she asks, hand flying up to his forehead before she can even think, “you’re not feeling well? Are you sick?”

“I’m fine,” he murmurs, biting his lip as his cheeks get a little red with embarrassment, “I just… get a little queasy when I’m stressed sometimes, is all. And you know… with being captain, interim captain I mean, and everything.”

“Oh, Howie,” she sighs, her turn to blush as she didn’t mean to use his actual name, “okay, no tacos right now. How about we go sit? I wanted to talk to you.”

“O-okay,” he replies, tentatively taking her hand and leading her over to the nearest bench.

“You said you weren’t alright,” she says a minute later, “and I guess I just… I was worried. You’re dealing with a lot and I just wanted to see you in person.”

“I’m… okay…”

“You said you weren’t.”

“Okay, well, you got me there,” he chuckles nervously, and Maddie can’t help but laugh, too.

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Maddie,” he starts carefully, “I’m not… you don’t have to be worried about me, okay?”

“You got stabbed because of me.”

“I got stabbed because of Doug,” he amends immediately, “I don’t want you to feel… you don’t have to feel guilty. None of this… none of what I’m dealing with is your fault. I’m not your obligation, okay? Just focus on you right now.”

“I also just really care about you,” she says quietly, looking up at his eyes for one second before looking down at the floor.

“And I really care about you,” he says back, “and I’m glad you’re here. Thank you. You’re very sweet.”

“So are you. Really, is there anything I can do for you? I hate thinking about how much stress you’re under.”

“You help. You being here. You just being you,” he whispers, bumping his shoulder against hers lightly, “knowing that you still care--”

“Of course I still care,” she cuts in, almost feeling offended, “of course I still care about you, Chimney. Doug took a lot of things away from me, but he could never take that.”

“I know, I’m sorry. I just meant… it’s nice to see you. In person. I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you, too,” she nods, “don’t smile as much without you and all your little jokes you text to me throughout the day.”

“You’re one of the few people who finds me funny, actually.”

“Plenty of people do. The 118 just likes to give you a hard time because you’re family.”

“And now I’m there captain,” he groans with a sigh.

“Hey, hey, you’re stepping up for your team in their time of need and that’s admirable,” she assures him, squeezing his hand lightly for just a moment, “I know that it’s a lot of pressure, but you’re doing a good job.”

“Uh, I think your brother might be lying to you, because I’m pretty sure he hates me right now. I think they all hate me.”

“They do not,” she says firmly, squeezing his hand again, letting him hold hers when this time he immediately squeezes back, “you had to grow into it first; there’s always a learning curve. But Buck and Hen have been telling me that while they may be a little annoyed, you’ve really stepped up and gotten the hang of it.”

“You and Hen are friends?”

“I, uh, I’ve been worried about you,” she whispers, blushing a bit again.

“You know, you could have just--”

“I know,” she sighs, “I just… I wasn’t ready to see you at first, to face you, but now that I am seeing you I-I… I want to keep seeing you. I miss you, Chimney.”

“What are you saying, Maddie?” he asks in a whisper, desperately trying to tamp down the hope rising in his chest for fear of getting his heart ripped out of him.

“I’m saying that I need us to go slow but I want to be going… wait, that didn’t make any sense, did it? I’m sorry, I’m not that great at this. I was married so I never really thought I’d have to date again.”

“Are you…?” he trails off.

“I want to try again,” she says finally, “can we please try again?”

“I would love to,” he smiles, heart still beating fast but now in a different way as he leans in closer, pausing and looking in her eyes to make sure he has her blessing.

And he does.

She bites her lip and leans in a little herself, and Chimney knows he’s gotten the “yes” he’d been looking for. Grinning, he closes the gap between them, eyes closing in contentment as his lips meet hers, the seconds they took to bring them together having felt like hours.

“Really missed you,” she says against his lips, before closing them into another kiss, bringing her hands up to cup his cheeks,

“Missed you more,” he insists, giving her a few quick pecks in succession.

“You feeling any better now? Any more confident?”

“A lot more confident,” he nods enthusiastically, “who knew all I needed was you?”

“Mmm. And some kisses.”

“And some kisses,” he agrees emphatically.

“Can I get you to eat a little? Just for me?” she asks with huge wide eyes and an adorable little pout gracing her lips. Which he now knows taste like pineapple. From her chapstick, he can only assume.

“Maddie,” he groans with a little chuckle.

“Worried about you,” she hums innocently, fussing with the collar of his shirt in a bit, “need to know that you’re eating okay, especially now that I know your stomach gets upset when you’re stressed. Can’t have the _fire captain_ saving lives on an empty stomach.”

“Well, when you put it that way,” he grins, kissing her gently another time, “and after spending some time with you, those tacos are starting to smell pretty good.”

“And then after your shift today you should come over to my place so I can make sure you’re getting enough sleep,” she adds, tugging him up to a standing position so she can lead him towards the firehouse kitchen, “don’t get me wrong, you’re very handsome, Captain Han, but you do look exhausted.”

“Oh? So we’re going straight to you telling me what to do all the time? I thought you wanted to take things slow.”

“Please. It’s not bossy to want to take care of my boyfriend.”

“...Say that last part again?” he prompts, a huge grin spread upon his face.

“I’m not bossy.”


End file.
